“I never thought of you as a bully.”

“And you’ve changed your mind?”

“I just don’t see what right you have to ask me to account for what I preach in my church. What business is it of yours?”

“Your church is a member of this association.”

“Yes, and we are autonomous. You know as well as I do that Southern Baptist churches are independent, and that our cooperation with one another is voluntary. So, there’s no bishop or pope telling us what we can preach and cannot preach.”

“There’s not now, either. That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what is it about? Evidently, someone has reported me to you and I’m being called to account for what I do. I’d like to know what that is, if it’s not you acting like you’re some kind of authority over me.”

I took that in, and sat there quietly for a moment.

“Edgar,” I said, finally, “No one is trying to tell you what you can preach. That is between you and the Lord, and, I might add, between you and your church membership. If they are okay by it, fine with me.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“The question is whether your church will remain in this association. We have nothing to do with what you do inside your church, but we have everything to say about which churches comprise the association. From time to time, down through the years, the leadership of practically every Baptist association in America has had to make a decision about one of their members.”

“About kicking a church out? Is that the point?”

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“What do you mean, you don’t know the Bible?”

“Just that. I mean I do not know anything of significance about it. I don’t know how it all fits together. I don’t know how we got it. I can’t even recite the books in order.”

“A lot of people can’t do that. I have trouble with some of the minor prophets myself.”

“I’m serious. I’ve been a Christian since I was 11 and a member of a Baptist church for 30 years. I’m a deacon in our church, a choir member, and I’m there at least two times a week. If you figure a hundred sermons a year, I suppose I must have heard over three thousand messages. And I’m still pitifully ignorant of God’s word.”

“And you are determined to do something about it? Is that what brought you to my office?”

“Let’s just say I’m not satisfied with this situation. I don’t actually know what to do or where to start.”

“What have you done so far?”

“Other than come tell you? I joined a Sunday School class. Everyone says that’s the way to learn the Bible. But it didn’t work for me.”

“How come?”

“It could just be the teacher. Or maybe it’s the literature. You know, it’s pretty elementary.”

“You know why, don’t you? It’s written for people who don’t know their Bibles.”

“Like me.”

“And the poor teacher, trying to get across the deeper meanings of God’s word to people who never seem to grow in their understanding–well, it can be pretty discouraging.”

“You described me there. I’m like a fellow I used to know in high school. He came to school all the time, but never seemed to learn anything. He failed the seventh grade several years in a row, and finally, he just decided to promote himself. I figure the teachers and principal knew he would eventually drop out, because no one stopped him. So, when I was in the 7th grade, he was there for the third time. Next year, he went up to the 8th grade with us. And the year after that, the 9th grade. But he wasn’t promoted to any of them. Then, one day he quit coming.”

“And that feels like what you’ve been doing?”

“It’s exactly what I’ve been doing–coming to class and never learning and getting promoted year after year.”

Long pause.

“Anyway,” he said, “I want to do something about this. I’m ready to change.”

I said, “Have you talked to your pastor about this?”

“In some ways, he’s part of the problem.”

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Bob was giving his testimony to some friends. He had wasted his earliest years in agnosticism and skepticism and gone through a painful divorce. When he came to Christ, his life straightened out. A few years later, he met Kim and they were married. He said, “One reason I believe in God is that He brought Kim into my life.”

I can accept that. It might not stand up in a debate with a panel of philosophers as evidence for the existence of God, but it works for me.

In fact, I venture to say that most Christians have similar evidence of God’s reality, incidents or blessings that provide all the proof they will ever need of the presence of the Lord. Perhaps it was a message at the right time, an experience like nothing before or since, or some person who came into their life and changed it. To their thinking, God was there and on duty.

In my case, one experience in particular will forever stand out as all the proof I could ever ask for that God is real. It was not the healing from cancer three years ago, it was not the various close calls on the highways–although there have been several of those–and it was not all the wonderful people God brought into my life over the years, as special as they are.

It was a deacons meeting in April of 1989.

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People often ask me this when I’m speaking in other cities. I’m happy to report it’s doing just fine.

In fact, today, Friday, I sat in Leavell Chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and had a fresh update on the seminary’s comeback from Katrina. President Chuck Kelley was addressing a gathering of students, faculty, and friends who had assembled for a campus homecoming of sorts. I arrived late, and slipped into the back.

Two rows ahead of me sat Dr. and Mrs. Landrum Leavell. He was president of the seminary for some 20 years from the mid-70s to the mid-90s. Prior to that, he pastored FBC Wichita Falls, TX, FBC Gulfport, MS, and other outstanding churches. If you recognize that his name is the same as the chapel–and a number of other places on campus–it’s because his “Uncle Roland” was president of the seminary in the 40s and 50s. This gentleman hails from one of Southern Baptists’ most distinguished families. I might add that Dr. Landrum Leavell added to the luster of his family’s history. (He reads this blog, too, so I’ll watch myself here!)

As we sat taking in Chuck’s report, I quickly sketched out a cartoon of Dr. Landrum and the lovely JoAnn sitting in this beloved chapel. Above his head, the caption indicated that he was thinking, “I kept telling the trustees, ‘Apres moi, le deluge.'”

You history students will recognize that as a line from France’s 18th century King Louis XV who was predicting a flood of woes after his departure. I could see Dr. Leavell’s body shaking as he laughed at my little attempt at humor.

After testimonies from students and professors on the Lord’s care for them and their families through the Katrina tragedy, Dr. Kelley went into detail about the Father’s watchcare over both the campus and the seminary family. He called attention to a handout with facts seminary-lovers will want to know.

During and after Hurricane Katrina’s storm and flooding….

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You are a priest, you know. As a follower of Jesus Christ, the Bible includes you in what it calls “a kingdom of priests.” (I Peter 2:9) Some translations make it “a royal priesthood.” Same difference.

Now, a priest has two main functions. Standing between God and man, he represents one to the other. Facing God, he speaks to Him on behalf of humanity. Christians call that intercession. Then, facing the people, he speaks to them on behalf of God. We call that witnessing.

Intercessory prayer and personal witnessing are the two primary assignments of priests such as you and me in this world.

Moses is a good example of such a priest. In Exodus 32, he has to deal with the rebellious Israelites who took advantage of his 6 week absence receiving the Law atop Mount Sinai by creating a golden calf and then lapsing into a particularly debauched kind of idolatry. Moses rebuked them for their sin, then said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me!” (32:26) Notice that he is with the Lord, addressing the people for God. They are to get up and come to the Lord’s side. Witnessing.

Later, Moses prayed to the Lord on behalf of the people, saying, “If you will, blot out their sin. But if not, blot me out too.” (32:32) Intercession.

In effect, he said to the people, “I’m with God,” and to God, “I’m with the people.” He had a hold of both and refused to turn loose of either.

Recently while reading through Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, I noticed a strong word to priests. And since you and I qualify on that account as followers of Jesus, it occurred to me that you might appreciate this brief insight. Here it is, Malachi 2, verses 6, 7, and 8.

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In Southern Baptist life, the associational director of missions–my job–is at the bottom rung of the leadership ladder. The churches in a county or parish, or several counties or parishes, are organized into an association–they do it themselves, however they choose–and then, if they have the money for a salary, they select someone as their leader. In the early days, they called him an associational missionary. When I was in seminary, the guy for New Orleans was Dr. Mercer Irwin, his offices were at the seminary, and he wore the exalted title of Executive-Secretary.

Most associations choose to call their leader a director of missions, or DOM. In Mississippi, they made it ADM, meaning Associational Director of Missions. The joke is they were tired of people referring to the DOM as a “dirty old man.”

I’ve been on the lookout for a director of missions named King, just to see his business card or letterhead: “King, DOM.” Haven’t found one yet.

All the Baptist churches in a state organize themselves into a state convention, select a headquarters office somewhere, choose someone as their Executive-Director and give him a budget with which to hire a staff, then sit back and wait on him to lead them to do something. Nationwide, all the SBC churches form themselves into the Southern Baptist Convention. We put our headquarters in Nashville, turned the keys over to an officer whose unusual title is President of the Executive Committee of the SBC–that office has been held for a generation now by Dr. Morris Chapman–and go from there.

The odd thing about this denominational organization is that the associations do not comprise the state conventions, nor do the state conventions make up the Southern Baptist Convention. You would think they would. On an organizational chart, each is separate and has nothing to do with the other.

The churches make up the association, the churches make up the state convention, and the churches make up the SBC.

There may be another religious denomination organized like this somewhere in the world, but I’ve not heard of it. As the fellow said, “I’m not a member of any organized religion; I’m a Baptist.”

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He has been sheriff of Jefferson Parish since 1980. There has been no one like him on the political scene in this state before and won’t be after. One of a kind. At the same time, the most frustrating bull-headed strong-willed character and the kindest gentlest sweetest strongest leader. Take your pick. No one was neutral about Sheriff Lee.

He was second-generation Chinese-American. His family ran the House of Lee Chinese Restaurant on Veterans in Metairie for many years. He served as a driver for well-known Congressman Hale Boggs before getting a law degree and entering the political fray himself. He was big. The gastric bypass surgery he had four years ago pared off a good deal of excess weight, bringing him down 90 pounds from a high of 375. But he was still big. And opinionated. And wonderful and narrow minded. Love and feared.

In a state that has turned out more than its share of political characters, Lee ranks up near the top. Since the deputies worked at his pleasure, he said, “That means they have to please me.” And they did, otherwise, they sought other employment. These people hired for law enforcement sold tickets to Harry’s annual fund-raisers which raked in large amounts of cash. Lee then donated money to various candidates he wanted elected, bought ads for positions he took, and assisted churches and community organizations. He then expected–and received–the votes and support of those groups. There was nothing subtle about this man. What you see was what you got. Like it or not.

I suppose he was a Catholic, not sure. In an email Monday evening from Robert Storey, the Youth For Christ worker in our area, I learned that Sheriff Harry had given testimony to Robert’s wife Kathy–who works for the Sheriff’s office–that he had found a new closeness to the Lord and a peace with God recently. He expressly asked that Kathy participate in his funeral.

Last year, Harry was found to be with leukemia. A tough kind of cancer, fast-moving, the type that moves in and kills you quickly, as we were made to understand. He spent time in and out of hospitals in California getting strong doses of chemotherapy and other drugs, and then was in and out of Anderson Hospital in Houston. He had a great weekend, we’re told, even going fishing with his grandchildren. Sunday, he suffered some kind of attack, couldn’t get his breath, and was rushed to Ochsner. Evidently, he went into a coma, perhaps from the medications they gave him. No one wanted to say to the world what everyone feared, that the end may be near. Turned out to be nearer than any of us thought.

The sheriff’s office in this parish gets a certain percentage of sales taxes. Since the money does not come from the parish council, Sheriff Lee resisted any attempts from the council to look at his budget. He was not chosen by them, but elected by the people, same as them, so he felt no accountability to them. Therefore, no one on the planet that I know of, has a clue as to precisely how he spent the money in his office’s budget. We’re talking many millions of dollars a year.

Tell me if that’s not frightening. And yet, even with such an obvious problem about the sheriff’s office operations, political leaders in this part of the state were afraid of the man. They did not dare cross him. Now that he is dead, they will say the finest things about him–and there is much good to be said–but I suspect that a great sigh of relief has just gone up from all those who did not have the courage to stand up to what he did and what he would not do. He was the law. And I don’t just mean ‘the sheriff’.

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